What Is Faith?

TODAY’S READING: ROMANS 11-14

“The were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith.” – Romans 11:20

Paul’s statement above is in the midst of his argument regarding Jews and Gentiles and who will be saved. He says the Jews were cut off because of unbelief but the Gentiles stand through faith.

The Greek word for faith is pistis. The Greek word for unbelief is apistia. The prefix a means not. More literally, Paul is saying that the Gentiles stand in faith while the Jews were cut off in not faith.

Pistis is a noun. The related verb is pisteuo. It is almost always translated believe because it wouldn’t make sense in English to say “I faith in you.”

Romans uses pistis more than any other book in the Bible.

So, what exactly is this thing we call faith?

The dictionary says that faith is an allegiance to duty or a person, belief and trust in and loyalty to God, belief in the traditional doctrines of religion, firm belief in something for which there is no proof, complete trust, and something that is believed especially with strong conviction.

Okay. Faith is a belief or a trust. And, we are to put our faith, belief, or trust in God.

That is still very nebulous and abstract.

Why am I to put my faith, belief, or trust in God?

If you see God as a homicidal, genocidal killer as he is depicted in the Old Testament and as many Christians proclaim him to the world, then why would someone who does not have faith suddenly put their faith, belief, or trust in God?

Perhaps the scripture that most Christians to turn to get a definition of faith is Hebrews 11:1. It says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” But, that is not really any clearer that the definition from the dictionary above.

“Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:26)

“Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations.” (Luke 24:46-47)

From the foundation of the world, the Father and the Son’s plan to save us was that the Christ would suffer, die, and rise from the dead.

Jesus partook of flesh and blood. He was made flesh, fully man. (Yes, he was fully God too.)

As fully man, what would it take for Jesus to go along with the plan of him suffering, dying, and rising from the dead?

Faith.

Jesus had to have faith that even though he emptied himself to be born in the likeness of men to suffer and die on the cross (Philippians 2:6-8) for the salvation of others his Father would raise him to life.

From the one thing that is necessary – that the Christ should suffer and die but be raised on the third day – we get our definition of faith.

Faith is to trust God that even though I suffer and die for my enemies God will raise me up to life as well as raise my enemies to life with me.

In “What Is the Righteousness of God and Its Effect?“, I provided my own translation of Romans 3:21-26 based on Paul’s obsession with the necessity of the Christ suffering and being raised from the dead for repentance and the forgiveness of sins.

“And now the righteousness of God has been manifested without law, but the righteousness of God is being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets through the faith of Jesus Christ to all the believing. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are being justified for no reason by his grace in proof of his righteousness. Because in his divine forbearance he tolerated former sins to prove his righteousness in the appointed time, in being him the just and the justifying one of Jesus’ faith.”

The righteousness of God was manifested on the cross through the faith of Jesus that the even though he would suffer and die his Father would raise him up three days later. Therefore, God justified Jesus’ faith.

This is why Jesus can save believe in me. He can say, “Look at what God did for me. I suffered and died for you. Yet, the Father raised me from the dead. Believe in me. Therefore, pick up your cross and follow me. Suffer with me for others and the Father will raise you from the dead too.”

This is why, after an entire chapter devoted to faith, the author of Hebrews wrote, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Now, go back to what Paul said in Romans 11:20, “They were broken off because of their unbelief [not faith], but you stand fast through faith.”

Why were the Jews broken off?

They did not believe it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and rise from the dead for repentance and the forgiveness of sins. They had no faith.

Why were the Gentiles standing, grafted into God’s family?

They believed that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and rise from the dead for repentance and the forgiveness of sins. They had faith.

Now, every time I read the word faith I think to myself that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and rise from the dead. Doing this brings incredible meaning to the passages that use the word faith (or believe).

As just one example, Romans 12:6-8 says, “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”

Why does say that the gift of prophecy should be used in proportion to our faith?

“For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Revelation 19:10)

To prophesy is to witness to Jesus, which is to say that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and rise from the dead for repentance and the forgiveness of sins. And, therefore, it is necessary for you to suffer and rise from the dead to have eternal life too.

That is a dangerous message to prophesy. No community, no culture, no country, wants to hear that message.

Jesus was a prophet. And, when he prophesied that message, it got him crucified.

Therefore, we can only prophesy, witness to, Jesus in proportion to our faith, to the extent that we trust and believe God that was necessary for the Christ to suffer and rise from the dead for repentance and the forgiveness of sins.

If we have only a little faith, then we truly prophesy only a little.

But, if we have great faith, knowing without a doubt that God raises to life those that suffer for their enemies, then we can truly prophesy greatly.

So, what is faith?

Believing and trusting God that he raises to life all those that suffer for their enemies and brings their enemies to life with them.

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2 Replies to “What Is Faith?”

Your final point, that God brings ourselves AND our enemies to life eternal strikes a cord. It fits with your position that Christ died to absolve all sin.

How do you deal with the scripture that says one must accept Christ as your Lord and Savior, love your neighbor as yourself, and I don’t remember the third. (I am a new convert so I don’t know the scripture very well). Your interpretation could lead people to say, okay I have faith in Christ but in the meantime I’ll live a fun self serving life. We know that’s not correct, so how do you reconcile these two points that don’t seem to be able to coexist?

Thanks for reading and commenting on the blog. I really appreciate it.

I believe Christ died to put an end to sin and its wages, death.

First John 3:8 says, “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”

The works of the devil are sin. Jesus appeared to destroy the works of the devil, sin.

Hebrews 2:14-15 says, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”

Because of the fear of death, we were subject to lifelong slavery. Slavery to what? Sin. See Romans 6. In addition to destroying the works of the devil, sin, Jesus also destroys the one who has the power of death, the devil. Therefore, death itself is destroyed. As 1 Corinthians 15:26 says, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”

If death itself is destroyed, then how can anyone die eternally, in the age to come? If death itself is destroyed, then how can anyone remain dead? Does this not imply that all, even the whole creation, will be raised to life?

You say, “You interpretation could lead people to say, okay I have faith in Christ but in the meantime I’ll live a fun self-serving life.”

Based on the definition I give faith in the post, this would be impossible. I define faith as suffering for others, particularly enemies, so that you and they can be brought to life.We have this faith because of Jesus’ faith, his doing this is exact thing. If someone truly has faith, they are living a lifestyle of suffering for others, particularly enemies, then how would they also be living a fun self-serving life?

A suffering for others, particularly enemies, life is completely contradictory with a fun self-serving life (meaning I just do whatever I want not that there is no fun in a life of following Christ). You cannot do both at the same time.

Finally, we don’t do anything to be saved.

Acts 15:11 says, “We believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus.”

Ephesians 2:5 says, “Even when we were dead in our trespasses, [God] made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved.”

Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”

2 Timothy 1:9 says, “[God] who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace.”

Romans 3:24 says we “are justified by his grace as a gift.” The Greek word for gift also means “for no reason.” From our perspective, God justifies us and saves us for no reason whatsoever. He just does because that’s who he is.

We accept Christ as a result of being justified and saved, as a result of grace. We love our neighbors as ourselves as a result of being justified and saved, as a result of grace.

We don’t do these things to be saved, to receive grace. That is works and man-made religion.

Perhaps the third point you are thinking of is that you must confess Jesus as Lord. But, Philippians 2:10-11 says, “So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Notice how there are no exceptions to bowing the knee to the lordship of Jesus and no exceptions to expressing with the tongue the lordship of Jesus. Every knee and tongue “in heaven and on earth and under the earth” will do these things. It may not happen in this age, but it will happen in one of the ages. The Bible speaks of ages, more than one age, in multiple places. I don’t think any of us knows what the future ages entail and how God will work things out. But, God is clear that all will confess Jesus as Lord.